The Global Recycling Day 2024 is approaching. With rising climate change issues, and the amount of waste surpassing all expectations, recycling comes as a natural response to numerous environmental threats. There are many things we can do when it comes to recycling, and when we unite, we can achieve any goal ahead of us. This article will explain what is Global Recycling Day, what to pay attention to when shopping, and how to make recycling our favourite habit. Quick links What is Global Recycling Day? Go paperless with stone paper notebooks Donate or sell items you no longer want or need Shop for secondhand clothes Shop for items you can reuse again and again Have a separate bin for recyclables Start reusing items you have at home Shop smarter - compostable and recyclable items Join our agood loop™ system Join a community clean-up event Prevent food waste What is Global Recycling Day? Global Recycling Day was founded in 2018, by the non-profit organisation Global Recycling Foundation. It is recognised by the United Nations, and we celebrate it around the world every year on March, 18th. This year's theme is Recognise Heroes, where the public will nominate individuals, businesses, and communities that have made an outstanding effort in recycling and promoting recycling. The winners will receive a financial award, but in reality, the rewarding thing is that they helped the environment with their efforts. The goal of this day is to remind institutions and the world about the benefits of recycling, and also to promote recycling among people. Luckily, there are numerous ways in which we can all participate in recycling every day. Go paperless with stone paper notebooks Start using eco-friendly products, such as stone paper notebooks, which can be easily recycled. While paper can be recycled too, it requires trees to be cut down, water, and toxic chemicals to get the final look. Stone paper is actually from limestone, and requires no trees, water, or bleaching. It is a fantastic substitution for paper as it is tear-resistant, water-resistant, and smudge-free. This makes them ideal for writing down business meeting minutes and making plans. And if you are a fan of journals, you don't have to feel guilty about deforestation anymore. Write down your thoughts in a high-quality stone paper journal that is not made from tree pulp. Donate or sell items you no longer want or need Another perfect way to take part in the global recycling day is to go through your items and get rid of the ones you no longer need or want. Clear up space in your home, get rid of the waste, and make sure to do this regularly. Instead of throwing the items away, if they are in great condition - donate them to charities. Or, sell them online, and make some money if you want. Either way, you get the point, avoid filling up the landfills with yet another T-shirt, or old phone case. Shop for secondhand clothes Do you have a habit of wearing secondhand clothes? Most of the time, you can find high-quality pieces in those shops, at a reasonable price. You don't even have to shop sometimes, just ask a family member or a friend to exchange items with you. If they haven't worn some piece of clothing for a long time, and you need it, create your own circular economy. You can do the same thing with any other item, not just shopping. Think of books, kitchen appliances, decorations, etc. And when you shop for new clothes, check whether they are made from recycled cotton, for example. Always shop with nature in mind. Shop for items you can reuse again and again Instead of buying a plastic water bottle every day at work or school for years to come, buy a single recycled steel thermal bottle and save the planet. The bottle is already made from recycled materials, and it can last you for decades. It can keep your beverage hot or cold for many hours. Reusable makeup pads are the best way to clean the sensitive skin on your face and preserve the environment. Instead of single-use pads, the reusable makeup pads will last you for a long time. They will save you money, and provide the best care for your face. Mash or tote bags are super convenient for a trip to the grocery store. Avoid plastic bags whenever possible, and use these ones instead. You will reduce the plastic waste that is harmful to the environment, and also save money while keeping your groceries in a safe bag. Plastic contains numerous chemicals that disrupt normal body functions and hormones, and you should avoid it at any cost. Have a separate bin for recyclables If you don't know where to start with recycling, start by getting a separate bin for all recyclables. Place glass, yoghurt cups, paper, and plastic items there. If you have containers where you can sort these items, that is great. Always check your local recycling program, and what it offers. If you don't know where to sort these items for recycling, you can take them to the nearest recycling facility. The RecycleNow website is great for UK citizens, as it is based on your location and shows you exactly what can be recycled and where. Start reusing items you have at home Another thing that you can do today is to start reusing items you already have at home. Old T-shirts can easily transform into cleaning cloth for tiles, for example. Or, if you have some empty wine bottles, give them a new life by turning them into vases. Similarly, turn the empty glass jars into storage jars for beans, rice, or tools. Once you start repurposing the items around the house, your creativity will inspire you to find even more ways to reuse items. Shop smarter - compostable and recyclable items The best shopping is shopping for compostables and recyclable items. When we know that our goal is to leave as little waste as possible, compostables are ideal for usage. Let's turn to nature and live in harmony with it. For example, you can buy items such as wheat straws, instead of plastic straws that are a danger to marine life and the ecosystem. These eco-friendly wheat straws come in a pack of 100 straws and are 100% compostable. You can use them as a flower stick, or material for arts and crafts once you are finished with them, as well. Or, you can buy a plant-based mobile phone case, instead of a plastic one. These cases come in stylish designs and amazing colours, but most importantly they are not harmful to the environment. They will provide protection to your phone, without endangering your health. The main issue with phone cases is that when the new model comes out, you cannot use your old phone case anymore. The vast majority of them end up in landfills, polluting air, land, and water. With plant-based phone cases, the environment is safe as they don't contain harmful materials, and we recycle them. Join our agood loop™ system When you buy certain items, such as phone cases that we just mentioned, you become a part of our agood loop™ system. How it works? Instead of throwing away your old phone case, you can return it to us, and we will find a way to reuse it and sell it again. In this way, we preserve natural resources and promote recycling and a circular economy. We will give you a discount on your next purchase, and you can also choose products that are a part of agood loop™. Join a community clean-up event Many community clean-up events will be organised for the Global Recycling Day 2024, feel free to join one of them. You can also organise, or offer to help with the organisation of clean-up events in the future. All it takes is goodwill and older clothes. When you do something together with other members of your community it a fantastic energy and is motivational for people to keep preserving the environment. Prevent food waste Creating more and more waste will only lead to worse conditions on Earth, and we can start by minimising our food waste. Check out your pantry and your fridge. Do you see many items with past expiration dates or plenty of leftovers waiting to go straight to the trash bin? You can easily prevent this by making a meal plan for the upcoming week. Write down the meals and the list of ingredients you will need to make them. Then, check which ingredients you already have and buy only what you need. This will prevent food waste in the long run and will motivate you to make nutritious meals with fresh ingredients. Also, check out these 6 great apps to reduce food waste, and achieve even better results. Final word While we wait for the Global Recycling Day, there are plenty of things we can do on a daily basis. We don't have to do every single thing from the list, but creating new, healthy recycling habits will be beneficial for our environment. Modern times have brought us the seemingly insatiable need for shopping, but conscious consumerism is the key to successful recycling, reusing, and repurposing. Join us on our mission to use eco-friendly products that will make the environment much less polluted.